5 Hints for Faster Turn Times

The appraisal profession is evolving constantly. Commonly, it seems, appraisers are asked to present additional information or have steps added to their research. All of this is to guarantee their client receives the most useful analysis possible. To stay current with the always changing requirements, Wolf Creek Appraisal Group, LLC is constantly acquiring additional tools and improving processes in order to increase efficiency so we can do more work for quickly. At Wolf Creek Appraisal Group, LLC we know that time is important to everybody, so we've listed some things you can do to hasten the process on any appraisals ordered from Wolf Creek Appraisal Group, LLC:

  1. Are you ordering appraisals online? When you order online, you get automatic e-mail acknowledgements that the order was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Online ordering is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! We don't have to retype information from a fax, and nor will you wonder whether the order was received.

  2. Make sure that the subject property information is accurate and complete. Being just one number off on the street address can really add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. And if you have a tax parcel number, plat map number, subdivision name or anything else that uniquely identifies the property, please pass it along. Even a list of recent sales in the area is welcome — though be advised that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may be different from yours.

    3. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your property or an appraisal we're working on for you.

  3. Tell us up front of the property's unique characteristics. It's relatively easy to appraise a cookie-cutter home. Most of an appraiser's time is spent analyzing how differing details add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when you order your report if there are unique features of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's predisposed to flooding. These are things we would find out on our own anyway, and knowing them as soon as possible will likely make your report arrive sooner.

  4. Be sure the occupants know the plan. One of the most tedious steps of the appraisal process is setting an inspection date with the current homeowner. Some current homeowners are understandably apprehensive with the notion that an unknown persons wants to come in their house, look around, and take abundant notes. Believing that it will make the house appraise for more money, many homeowners believe they need to make the place spotless before the appraiser comes by and will choose to not schedule the appointment until they can get around to cleaning.

    Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they are already working -- some info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't make a significant difference in their home's value, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has multiple pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. Please feel free to share it with your clients. They can even call us if they want to meet the staff and learn more about our services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment soon!

  5. Are you using our website as a resource to track the status of your report? Why are you still playing phone and fax tag when our website offers up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7? As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. There's no easier way to track the status of your report.